Always, Like This
by dudidudidam
Summary: Ten drabbles about heartbreak. Sort of.


**Shuffle Challenge!**  
Rules:  
1. Pick a character, fandom, pairing, friendship, whatever.  
2. Put iTunes or your music program on shuffle and start playing songs.  
3. For each song, write something inspired by the song related to the theme you chose earlier. You only have the song length. No pre-planning and no writing after the song is over. No skipping songs either.  
4. Do this for ten songs.

And this is what I've come up with! :D

**Title:** Always, Like This

**Fandom:** H2

**Pairing:** Hiro, Hikari, Hideo, Haruka

**Rating:** PG

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**Warning:** Spoilers for the whole series.

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**Run – Snow Patrol**

"Kunimi-kun is a good guy, isn't he?" Haruka says.

Hikari takes a moment before answering her. "He isn't always such a looker, though." Because he isn't. Hikari would know.

"I'm sure Tachibana-kun isn't always such a looker himself." Haruka says. "Maybe if you were childhood friends yourselves, then it might turn out that Tachibana-kun used to be a slobby kid."

Hikari looks at Haruka. Words of someone in a crush.

"Maybe he was." Hikari says.

* * *

**Angel – Shaggy**

The thing about Hikari is that she's always there that it's hard for Hiro to ever imagine her not to be there. Even when she finally hooked up with Hideo, she's still always there. For him. For Hiro. Even if now she's there for Hideo too.

She's the closest thing to him, sometimes it feels like she's even closer than his own family, and that's why it's as easy as breathing to fall in love with her.

Except he has no right.

He's too late, that's why. He's too late, and he has no right to come between them.

He's just too late.

* * *

**Closer to Love – Matt Kearney**

They're childhood friends. Maybe less, but certainly nothing more.

It's true, Hideo thinks, when they're still in their seventh, eighth grade. And maybe still true at the beginning of ninth grade. But by the end of ninth grade, they no longer see each other as childhood friends.

Hideo should know. After all, he's always watched them both—Hikari because he likes her, and Hiro because he idolizes him.

* * *

**I'll Find A Way – Rachael Yamagata**

"Do you think, if three persons are in love with each other, there's any way to prevent any of them from getting hurt?" Hiro asks.

"Hell no. what are you, an idiot?" Kine claims passionately. "Just get rid of the third person, and all will be well."

Hiro smiles at him. "And if you're the third person?"

"That's obvious. Get rid of the first. Or the second. Whichever comes your way. Now move. You're blocking the TV."

"You won't consider giving up? You know, for the other person's sake?"

"Listen you, none is that chivalrous—none! Why would anyone make themselves suffer for the sake of another person?"

Hiro looks over the window. "Why, I wonder."

* * *

**Somewhere – Within Temptation**

"He looks really happy about winning today, isn't he?" Haruka-chan remarks.

"Really?" Noda says, light glinting off of his glasses.

"I struck Hideo out." Hiro says. "I struck Hideo out, and now I've won. We've won against Meiwa Ichi."

He's laughing and his mouth is smiling and even his eyes are filled with joy. So why why _why_ it feels like he's crying to Noda? Even when his face is devoid of tears. Even when he's singing along happily with everyone.

_I love Hikari, and that's why I struck Hideo out. That's why I let her go. That's why I let her go. That's why-_

Today, Senkawa won against Meiwa Ichi, with a score 2-0.

Today, pitcher Kunimi Hiro has just won his showdown with the fourth batter Tachibana Hideo, giving up only a foul hit.

Today, bestfriend Hiro has just admitted defeat to Hideo, giving up—

* * *

**What About Now – Westlife**

"You shouldn't have waited for me," Hiro says. "Aren't you tired at all?"

Haruka smiles. "I'm a tough girl. Maybe a little clumsy, but I know I'm tough."

Hiro raises an eyebrow at her. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"I'm also smart, you know. My classmates say so."

"That's why I'm asking you, what's that got to do with anything?"

"It helps me understand you." She looks at him, soft soft _soft_. "And I realize, if I hold on for a little longer, you'll finally start to look my way."

And he thinks, for someone who sounds so confident, her smile is rather apologetic.

He snorts. "And you said you were _smart_."

"Maybe I'm just stubborn."

This time, she doesn't look the least bit apologetic.

* * *

**Bernafas Tanpamu – Lyla**

She never changes.

Seasons come and go. Feelings grow and wither. Everything changes but her.

She's still the same old Hikari, who looks after Hiro, who goes out with Hideo, who goes on being so perfect that every girl envies her.

Sometimes Hideo wishes Hikari isn't so unchangeable, so _independent_. That she would be down if he wasn't there. That she would show him some weakness.

But she doesn't. And she wouldn't—not to him, anyway. _(Hiro Hiro Hiro Hiro-)_

And maybe-just maybe-for that alone, Hideo could admit, he's a little bit jealous.

* * *

**PUZZLE – Mai Kuraki**

At first, it wasn't so much 'like' as admiration, what she felt for Kunimi-kun. Only somewhere along the line, it evolves, and she could never pinpoint when exactly it happened.

Kunimi-kun is courteous, and that's the problem. He's the kind of guy who would say 'I'll call you' to a girl without actually going to do it.

Haruka knows this. She also knows that deep down, he's still a little bit in love with his childhood friend.

Yet still it doesn't stop her from falling for him all over again when he says '_I love you'_ in broken English, after saving her from Miyoshi-kun.

Hopeless, your name is Koga Haruka.

Maybe she just doesn't know when to give up.

* * *

**Never say Never – The Fray**

"Congratulations," Hiro tells you, "For your first kiss with Hideo two years ago."

But all you can think, as you watch him raise his soda can to salute you, is how you wish to knock the can off of him and shout at him why why why _why_! Why now, why you, why her, _why_.

He's telling you that he's been in love with you. He's telling you that now there's Haruka, he can finally let go of you. He's telling you-

He's telling you that he's finally given up on you.

And you—

You think you've just experienced your first heartbreak.

* * *

**Taiyou no Uta – Erika Sawajiri**

"Do you ever regret introducing Hikari-san to Tachibana-kun?" Haruka asks.

Yes, Hiro wants to answer. Yes. Yes. Every time he sees them together. Because if there's someone he could never win, it would be Hideo. Because if there's someone who could make Hikari happy, it would be Hideo. Because Hideo is his bestfriend and he loves him like a brother. Because Hikari is his childhood friend and he loves her more than a sister. Because they're so perfect for each other it makes your teeth ache.

Because he could never dare to get between them.

Because he knows, even if he got a chance to repeat it, he would still introduce them to each other, and start the whole process all over again.

Because he loves them both, and _means_ it.

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End file.
